Yarn feeding device



V. A. IANNUCCI YARN FEEDING DEVICE Jan. 8, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1968 33 u w w m a a 7 n a 6 6 8 MM 9 8 J 0 N f 478m 2 AM i 9! 999 mm My 99 J I H i: II II l1 1 iiw! m w H M w l w m w H! u H a #2 I V 4 m 9 I w M fluv 6 United States Patent O US. Cl. 242-47.01 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for positively feeding yarn including a roll mounted in fixed axial position and around which the yarn is directed, and means for driving said roll at different speeds comprising a shaft penetrating the roll and keyed thereto for rotation therewith and axial movement relative thereto, a friction wheel fixed on the shaft, a drive disk having an axis at right angles to said shaft with its surface in contact with the friction wheel rim, means for rotating said drive disk, and means for moving said shaft axially for adjustment of said friction wheel on said disk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of yarn using equipment in the textile field require the yarn to be positively fed by means which is not affected by variations in the drag of the yarn due to faulty winding of the yarn supply pirn or to other causes. For example knitting machines of a number of types, including circular machines driven at high speeds, such as speeds up to one thousand rpm. and for which the instant invention is particularly useful, require such positive yarn delivery to the needles thereof. Also provision must be made for varying the rate of delivery of the yarn.

Heretofore positive yarn feeding means have been developed, such prior devices including for example that disclosed in application Ser. No. 568,191, filed July 27, 1966, in the name of James D. Moyer, now Patent No. 3,377,824, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. The prior application discloses a positive yarn feed involving a rotatable member around which the yarn is drawn in a bight the rotatable member being inflatable whereby its effective yarn feeding diameter can be increased and decreased by varying the internal fluid pressure to which it is subjected. In the construction illustrated in the application the degree of inflation is controlled automatically by the tension of the yarn.

In another type of yarn feed device the rate of yarn delivered is controlled by manual adjustment. For example patent to Jackson et a1. 2,967,413, issued Oct. 1, 1961, discloses a yarn feeding means for circular knitting machines comprising a feed roll around which the yarn is drawn in a bight. The roll is mounted for rotation with a shaft which carries a disk fixed thereto, the disk rotating in a vertical plane. The disk is driven by a driving wheel rotating in a horizontal plane and having a rib in contact with the disk. The feed wheel, shaft and disk are adapted for vertical adjustment whereby the contact point of the rib and disk may be adjusted along a line radially of the disk to correspondingly adjust the rate of rotation of the feed roll relatively to the driving wheel.

Another example of a known type of positive yarn furnishing means for a knitting machine and in which the rate of yarn delivery may be manually adjusted is found in patent to Filberg 1,606,756, issued Nov. 16, 1926. In that patent feed rolls engage the yarn to draw the yarn between them, one of the rolls being affixed to a shaft for rotation therewith. The shaft is rotated through means of a friction wheel keyed to the shaft for rotation therewith and for slidable movement axially thereon and a driving disk having its surface in contact with the rim of the friction wheel. To vary the speed of rotation of the feed roll means are provided to adjust the position of the friction wheel on its shaft whereby the point of contact of the friction wheel with the disk is correspondingly adjusted radially of the disk.

The instant invention has for its principal object the provision of yarn feed mechanism employing the fric' tion wheel and drive disk principle with manually operated means to adjust the position of the friction wheel radially of the drive disk but which incorporates improvements from the standpoint of ease of manufacture and efiiciency of operation over the disclosures of the prior art as referred to above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described the yarn feed device of the instant invention comprises a feed roll suitably of the type having a compressible tire around which the yarn is drawn and means for rotatably supporting the roll in fixed axial position. A shaft is received in an axial bore of the feed roll and is keyed thereto for driving relationship therewith while at the same time permitting axial movement of the shaft relatively to the feed roll. The shaft carries a friction wheel having its rim in contact with a driving disk driven at a constant speed by any suitable rotating element of the knitting machine. Means are provided to shift the shaft axially whereby the point of contact of the rim of the friction wheel is adjusted radially of the driving disk to vary the rate of rotation of the feed roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device of the instant invention incorporated in the yarn furnishing means of a circular knitting machine the latter being illustrated diagrammatically; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the yarn furnishing means on an enlarged scale the view being partially in section and partially in elevation,

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 a yarn feeding device in accordance with the instant invention is illustrated at 10 in association with a circular knitting machine of the stationary cylinder and rotary cam box type dia-graimatically illustrated at 12. It will be understood however that while the instant yarn feeding mechanism has found a principal field of use in connection with such 'a circular knitting machines, particularly those adapted to operate at high speeds, its use is not so limited and it can be employed and its advantages obtained with other yarn using machines or devices. However the following description will be directed to its association with a high speed knitting machine such as that diagrammatically illustrated.

Knitting machine 12 has a usual stationary needle cylinder the lower portion of which is indicated at 14 and associated rotary cam box structure 16. The knitting machine also includes a yarn back 17 having means 18 of any suitable type for supporting one or more yarn pirns 20-, one being shown. The yarn is lead from the pirn through pigtail guides 24 and a guide eye 25 to a feed roll 26 having a compressible surface layer or tire and driven by means hereinafter to be described and around which the yarn is preferably drawn in a bight. The yarn continues through guide eyes 27 and 28 to a feeder not shown carried by a yarn feed ring 29 adapted to be rotated with 3 cam box 16 and by which the yarn is delivered to the knitting instrumentalities of the machine.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2 the feed roll 26 is mounted for rotation in fixed position in a thickened wall portion of a housing 30 preferably of generally circular cross section. Housing 30 includes a lower hub portion 32 secured as by one or more set screws 33 on an upwardly extending tubular column 34 the lower end of which is threaded into a threaded bore in a bracket 37 supported from a stationary element 38 of the knitting machine base. Feed roll 26 includes a hub portion 39 of reduced diameter suitably secured with a press fit in the annular opening defined by the inner race of a self-contained ball bearing unit 40 of conventional construction, the inner race abutting against a shoulder 41. The outer race of the ball bearing unit is secured suitably with a press fit in a socket 42 defined by a bore in the thickened portion 44 of the housing wall the outer race abutting an inner flange 46 formed integrally with the wall. In order to insure retention of the inner and outer races in their positions snap or retaining rings 49 and 51 are preferably inserted in annular grooves in hub 39' and the inner Wall of socket 42 respectively, as illustrated.

A shaft 48 has an end portion 50 received within an axial bore 52 of feed roller 26 the shaft being secured in driving but axially shiftable relationship to the roller by a key 54 seated in a closed end slot 56 of the shaft and in an elongated open ended key slit 58 extending the length of bore 52 of the feed roll. The other end of shaft 48 projects through a threaded sleeve 60 received within a correspondingly threaded opening 62 in a thickened portion 63 of the wall of housing 30 suitably diametrically opposite thickened Wall portion 44. Such other end of the shaft is mounted in self-contained ball bearing units 64 and 66 of a conventional type similar to unit 40. The outer races of units 64 and 66 are secured by press fits in annular recesses 68 and 70 respectively at the opposite ends of the sleeve. The inner races of units 64 and 66 are secured by press fits to the end portion 53 of the shaft 48. Suitably a snap or retainer ring 71 interfitting in a groove 73 adjacent the outer end of the shaft is employed to insure retention of unit 66 in its desired position and to serve as a positioning means during assembly.

The outer end of sleeve 60 carries an enlarged preferably knurled head 72 whereby the sleeve may be manually rotated to adjust the degree to which it projects into housing 30 and hence correspondingly adjust the position of shaft 48 in an axial direction. Sleeve 60 may be secured in any adjusted position by means of a set screw 74 threaded into a vertical bore 76 formed in the thickened portion 63 of the wall of housing 30. Set screw 74 preferably is provided with an enlarged knurled head 78 for ease of manual manipulation. The lower end of the set screw rests against a brass plug 80 adapted to engage the threaded outer surface of sleeve 60, the brass plug permitting screw 74 to be tightened to force the plug into engagement with the sleeve to prevent rotation thereof without at the same time injuring the threads of the sleeve. 7

A friction wheel 82 is fixed to shaft 48 for rotative and axial movements therewith by means of a set screw 84 penetrating an integral hub 86. A washer 88 is preferably inserted between hub 86 and the inner race of bearing 64. Suitably the rim of the friction wheel carries a tire 90 made of any suitable friction material such as natural or artificial rubber.

A driving disk 92 having a hub 94 is mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane on an end portion 95 of reduced diameter of a vertically extending shaft 96, the center lines of shafts 96 and 48 lying in at least approximately the same vertical plane. Disk 92 is afiixed to the end portion 95 of the shaft as by a key 97 interfitting in a closed end slot 98 of the shaft and open-ended slot 99 in hub 94, whereby the disk will rotate with the shaft but is permitted movement axially of the shaft. A compression spring 100 surrounds the shaft between a washer 102 resting against a shoulder 104, defining the inner end of the reduced diameter portion 95, and hub 94, the spring resiliently urging the disk into contact with the tire of friction wheel 82. The upper surface of the driving disk is suitably somewhat roughed as by vapor blasting to ensure against slippage between the driving disk 92 and the friction wheel.

The lower end of shaft 96 is supported in ball bearing units 106 and 108. Unit 106 is received in an enlarged portion of the bore of tubular column 34 and has its inner race resting against a shoulder 110 defined by a further enlargement of the diameter of shaft 96. The outer race of unit 106 is received in a recess 111 defined by an enlargement of the bore of column 34. The outer race of unit 108 adjacent the lower extremity of the shaft is confined between a shoulder 112 defined by an enlargement of the bore of member 34 and an annular flange 114 of bracket 37. The inner race of unit 108 is confined between a shoulder defining a reduced end portion 115 of the shaft '96 and a hub portion 116 of a pulley 118 secured to the lower projecting end 115 of the shaft as by set screw 120. Pulley 118 and hence shaft 96 is adapted to be driven at a speed proportional to the rate of rotation of cam box 16 of knitting machine 12 as by a belt 122 connecting pulley 118 and a pulley 124 comprising an annular member secured to the cam box for rotation therewith.

Referring again to housing 30 the upper side thereof is preferably closed as by a removable cover plate 126 secured to the annular wall of the housing by screws 128. Cover plate 126 carries a bracket 130 secured thereto in any suitable way. A vertically extending rod 132 is received in a bore adjacent the outer end of bracket 130 and secured in adjusted position as by a set screw 133. The rod supports a U-shaped member 134, FIGS. 1 and 2, the arms of which carry the guide eyes 25 and 27 previously referred to.

In the operation of the yarn feeding means described above upon the start-up of the knitting machine shaft 96 is rotated in timed relationship to the rotation of the cam box 16 through the medium of belt 122. The rotation of disk 92 causes, through its frictional engagement with the tire of friction wheel 82, rotation of the wheel and hence of shaft 48 and feed roll 26 the relative rotational speeds of shaft 48 and 96 being determined by the position of friction wheel 82 radially of disk 92. In order to adjust the rate of rotation of the feed roll to the desired speed set screw 74 is retracted and sleeve 60 is turned through the medium of its knurled head to move shaft 48 and hence friction disk 82 in the required direction to acquire the desired speed relationship. During such adjustment the end of shaft 48 received within the bore of feed roll 26 moves axially of the feed roll but Without affecting its driving relationship to the feed roll.

I claim:

1. In a device for positively delivering yarn to a yarn using apparatus said device including a roll having an annular yarn engaging surface, the improvement comprising means supporting said roll for rotation in a fixed position, a shaft in driving relationship to said roll and mounted for axial movement relative thereto, and means for rotating said shaft at different speeds depending upon the axial position thereof.

2. In a device as defined in claim 1 wherein said last named means comprises a friction wheel mounted in fixed position on said shaft for conjoint rotation therewith, a driving disk mounted for rotation on an axis at substantially right angles to said shaft and substantially in a common plane therewith and with its surface having a point of contact with said friction wheel, and means to shift said shaft in an axial direction to in turn shift said point of contact of said driving disk and friction wheel.

3. In a device as defined in claim 1 wherein said roll includes a bore slidably receiving said shaft and there is a key and slot connection between said roll and shaft.

4. In a device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for axially shifting said shaft comprises a fixed member having a threaded opening therein, a bored sleeve threadable into said opening, and means within the bore of said sleeve for rotatably receiving said shaft and for maintaining it in fixed axial position relatively to said sleeve.

5. In a device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for rotatably receiving said shaft within the bore of said sleeve comprises bearing members including inner races fixed to said shaft and outer races fixed to said sleeve.

6. In a device as defined in claim 4 wherein there is releasable means for securing said sleeve against rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

